Is Finn really a Jedi in Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

Last week we were given a big surprise that gave us a nice tease to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The teaser trailer had Kylo Ren walking in a forest and pulling out his crossguard lightsaber, ready for battle. What we didn’t know was who he was ready to face, but now we do. He is about to face Finn, who appears to be more than just an ordinary stormtrooper. With the D23 Expo poster of Finn holding a blue lightsaber and now new footage of Finn ready to battle with the same lightsaber, is Finn really a Jedi? The clues from what we’ve seen indicate that, but there are also a few that indicate he isn’t a Jedi.

In a recent article with Empire, JJ Abrams had dropped some details about our villain Kylo Ren:

“Kylo Ren is not a Sith. He works under Supreme Leader Snoke, who is a powerful figure on the Dark Side of the Force.”

Many fans have already speculated that Kylo Ren isn’t a Sith lord, one clue being he doesn’t hold the title of Darth. Maul, Tyranus (Count Dooku), Sidious (Palpatine), and Vader have all held Darth in the film series. With that, the red lightsaber has been a trademark for Sith lords long before Vader and Sidious are recognized as a mark of a dark member of the force. Kylo Ren holding a red saber indicates his allegiance to the dark side, but also notes that Sith and Jedi aren’t the only ones who use lightsabers for battle.

Both Jedi and Sith have the advantage of using the force to help guide them in battle, so it’s uncertain if both Kylo Ren and Finn wield the power of the force since no footage of either has been shown yet. That doesn’t stop both from wielding the lightsabers for action. Since Episode 6, it’s possible the Sith have fallen and we don’t know for certain if the Jedi have truly been brought back in the time gap between 6 and 7. Without either side training individuals the ways of the Force, good or bad, it’s entirely possible that lightsabers could’ve been slowly reaching people from scavengers, especially since hundreds, if not thousands, of Jedi were killed at the hands of Darth Vader and Darth Sidious. Which brings us to Finn’s lightsaber.

Many have already spotted this detail, but Finn is clearly seen using Luke’s lightsaber, which also belonged to Anakin/Darth Vader. Just exactly how he ends up with it remains a mystery, considering one section of the trailer shows it changing hands between two female characters and the new clip shows Finn ready to battle. Is it possible that Finn accidentally ran into Kylo Ren and his only choice of weapon was a lightsaber? Perhaps, but keep in mind than Finn at one point was a stormtrooper possibly on Kylo Ren’s side, and eventually is helped by Rey and even winds up with Luke’s lightsaber. These details lay a path to what Finn may eventually become, the same as how Luke eventually became a Jedi and brought them back against the Sith. He could be a Jedi in training, given this quote from the second trailer:

“The force is strong in my family. My father has it, I have it, my sister has it… You have that power too…”

We don’t know who Luke is talking to, and it’s entirely possible he’s talking to Finn. The force inside him could be what has kept him alive while he fled the stormtroopers and his battle with Kylo Ren. Wielding the lightsaber for battle could be one of the many tests that Finn faces in his journey to becoming a Jedi, or it can be entirely coincidental that he has Luke’s lightsaber when facing Kylo Ren. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is only a few months away so it’s only a matter of time until we see what JJ Abrams has in store for us.

What are your thoughts on my theory? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below!